


End of the Tunnel

by we_are_the_miserable_ones



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alcohol, Boys Kissing, F/M, Kissing, M/M, Sex, Sexual Tension, Wine, couhan, don't worry it isn't that bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 13:07:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 13,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1942326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_the_miserable_ones/pseuds/we_are_the_miserable_ones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enter Grantaire. His mother has shipped him off to his prestigious boarding school to straighten up his act a bit. He thinks his life will be a living hell. What he doesn't know is that he is about to meet five other guys who will change each others lives for the better. </p><p>Join Marius Pontmercy, Jehan Prouvaire, Joly, Courfeyrac, Enjolras, and Grantaire through the twists and turns of junior year. You never know who's gonna get hurt next...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Oh my God..." was the only thing that could come out of his mouth. "Oh my God..." He repeated. Suitcases flanked his legs.   
"Oh! Terry! I can't believe you're going already! Summer went by too quickly!"  
Grantaire looked up at his new boarding school. Yep... Looked up. It was a giant, snow-white building, brighter than the sun.   
Grantaire's mom hugged him. "Aw sweetie! I don't want you to go!"  
"Well, you're the one making me go here so-"  
"What? You're mumbling."  
"Oh, uh, nothing..."  
"Oh, look at the time, Terry! I have to go!"  
"Bye, bye mom..."  
"Oh I love you so much!"  
"Love you too mom..."  
She hoped in the car, and within a few seconds, the only person from the world from the world he had come to know was gone.

 

"Okay, Grantaire, Grantaire, Grantaire, Grantaire..." said the young lady, who's name tag read, Cosette, who was checking him in. "Grantaire, Grantaire, ah! Grantaire! You are in the Victor Hugo building, room 246"   
He took his pamphlet, complete with map, free snack coupon , and key to his room.   
It was a six minute walk to his dorm building. The lobby of the Victor Hugo building was full of other smelly, disorganized, loud guys. He pushed through the wave of Abercrombie-cologne-wearing males.   
Grantaire walked up to the second floor and found his room. He heard some weird rock-type music emitting from under the door. He unlocked the door and found a boy about his age in there. He breathed a sigh of relief. The guy looked cool.  
"You're Grantaire?"  
"Ya, and you must be-"  
"Courferyac, Courf for short, I like my room neat and tidy, you will not cross the line of blue tape I shall set on the ground, and welcome to the school." Courf said it in nearly a sentence like a drill sergeant with a straight face. R stood straight up.  
"Uh, ya, ya sure Courf."  
Courf's stern look faded into a laugh. "Dude, I'm just kidding! All I need from this place is a passing grade and music! And maybe a few hotties if I'm lucky. Chill dude!"   
A relieved Grantaire jumped onto his bed and zoned into his own world. One of painted angels in the sky and fields of canvases as far as the eye can see to his right, an endless field of charcoal to the left, and an endless supply of paint everywhere else. But, only one easel. He even knows he can't get too caught up in a dream.  
"I mean, who is this Victor Hugo dude?" Courf started about the namesake of their dorm building. "He's obviously a dead dude, but what did he do for us?" R heard before he fell into a well needed sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Enjolras opened up the door to room 248 with hesitation. There was some funky noise coming from the bottom of the door. "Hello?" he called.  
"Here!" replied the voice of a child.   
So small and weak, or so it seemed, was the man who we know as Jehan Prouvaire. He sat on his bed with a bunch of daisies on his chest. He was picking each petal off one by one. He seemed to be muttering a song of some sort as he picked at the flowers.  
"So, um," Enjolras cleared his throat. "My name is Enjolras. I'm going to be a junior this year. I'd like-"   
It was the poster of the Plain White Ts that made him choke up. He thought of his best friend, Combeferre.  
"Is everything ok?" his new room mate asked.  
Get it together, Enjolras, he thought. "Anyways, I'd like lights out by 10:30 and if you're back after then, please be quiet. I like sleep."  
Jehan looked up at this stern man, forgetting the way he chocked up seconds before. In all honesty, Enjolras was a terrifying young man. Charming, but utterly terrifying.  
"You will not play that music when we do homework. Please keep tidy." Enjolras proceeded to set his things on his bed and start unpacking.   
"Um, Enjolras?" asked Jehan like a child who'd just found a monster under the bed.  
"Yes, um..."  
"Prouvaire. Jean Prouvaire. My friends call me Jehan or JP. Well, if I had friends I'd want them to call me Jehan or JP, but we are gonna be friends, right?"   
"Yes, of course, Jehan. We can be friends if you wish it." Enjolras offered his hand for Jehan to shake.  
A large smile spread across Jehan's face. He ignored Enjolras' hand and pulled Enjolras I to a tight hug.   
This is the best day ever, Jehan thought.


	3. Chapter 3

As you can see, it did not take much to make Jehan Prouvaire happy. The first flower of spring, the first rain of summer, the first leaf fall of autumn, the first snow of winter. In each he found a different sensation, but they all shared a common happiness to him.  
The first friend of high school was a completely different happiness. This first friend filled him with a warmth that can not be described, only felt.   
Jehan hugged Enjolras for a full minute before letting go.  
"You are my first friend," said Jehan with a tear in his eye.  
"You are mine too," said Enjolras quietly. No, it's not true. He had had many friends, but they always had betrayed him. All except one did. That was Combeferre. He was at home, sick, fighting leukemia. Jehan would never replace Combeferre, but Enjolras felt this man, this friend, Jehan, would never betray him. 

"Name please?" said Cosette, the stunning girl checking him in.   
He stood and looked at her.  
"Sir? Are you alright?"  
"Oh. Ya, I'm more than fine."  
"Oooookay then... Can I get your name?"  
"Pontmercy. Marius Pontmercy."  
"Marius, Marius, Marius, Marius, Marius, Marius, ah! Marius. You are in the Victor Hugo building, room 247."  
"Thank you darling." Marius said, and Cosette blushed.   
In that moment, the world had been reborn.

"Anyone home?" asked Marius as he opened the door to room 247.   
"Brother Joly is!" called the man who's name was, obviously, Joly.   
"Hey, my name is Marius. Marius Pontmercy."   
"Joly. Pleasure," said Joly. They shook hands. Joly quickly pulled away and sanitized his hands with Purell.   
"Marius, I must apologize in advance. I'm a little bit of a germaphob..." said Joly.  
"Don't worry. I come from a line of germaphobs, and a very long one, I may add."  
"Oh! And my family is far from germaphobic!"  
"We can live in harmony."  
"I'll disinfect my stuff, you'll keep yours, uh, nondisinfected I guess, and we shall live in harmony!"   
"Brilliant!" cried Marius.  
"What year of high school are you in?"  
"Junior."  
"Amazing! Me too!"  
"We can fail-"  
"-or pass-" added Joly doubtfully  
"-together!"  
"Perfect!  
Marius started unpacking quickly. His belongings consisted of a mini fridge, a suitcase, and a large duffel bag. Half of the duffel was full of multiple bags of Cheetos, juice boxes, Coke, Cheese-Its, bread, and sandwich meat.  
Joly laughed at Marius' careful snack planing.   
"I can tell ya now," Joly started, "we are going to be great friends!"  
"Anything you need to pop in the fridge?" Marius asked.  
"Um, ya. I have some fruit. And I also brought some hot cocoa for when it gets cold."  
"Niiiice!"   
The boys unpacked and told stories of their germaphobic and non-germaphobic families


	4. Chapter 4

"You wanna go visit some neighbors?" asked Jehan after he and Enjolras had become better acquainted. This was totally unlike Jehan, as he was very antisocial.  
"Sure. What room would you like to visit first?"  
"I'm not sure, but I feel like we're gonna meet some good friends across the way!"  
"Perfect."  
Jehan strode across the tiny hall in one step. He knocked on the door to room 247 in a cute little pattern.  
"Hello? My name is Jean Prouvaire, and I'm here with my friend, Enjolras, and we'd-"  
The door opened and there were four happy guys sitting in the room.  
Jehan raised his hand and waved a very shy wave. "H-h-h-hi everyone."  
"Hello, gentlemen. My name is Enjolras."   
Enjolras went in a circle shaking the hands of the guys introducing themselves to him. The last man didn't stick out his hand.   
"Um, excuse me?"  
"I like you, blondie."  
"Excuse me?"  
"I like you. We're gonna be great friends."  
"We won't be if you don't tell me your name!"  
"Grantaire, friends call me R or Taire,"  
"Well, hello, Grantaire."  
"I said my friends call me R or-"  
"I KNOW what you said."  
Within a second, the room plunged into an awkward silence. Jehan, bless his soul, broke the silence best he could.  
"So, hi everyone. I'm Jean Prouvaire. My friend calls me Jehan or JP." His voice shook.  
"Friend?" asked Courf.  
"Um, I only have one friend. That's Enjolras. He's my only friend." Jehan looked at his feet and shuffled them.  
"Well, Jehan, I'll be your friend! My name is Joly."  
Jehan's smile grew as both Grantaire and Marius said, "I'm your friend!"  
He looked at Courf with a hopeful gleam in his eye.   
"You look like Rapunzel," said Courf.  
Jehan started stroking his beach-blonde braid and his face turned red.  
"I'm gonna call ya 'Punzie, cool?"  
"More than cool! Can I call you Flynn? I've never had a nickname before! The only nickname I've ever gotten is-" Jehan covered his mouth.  
"What was the name, JP?" asked R  
"Ducky!" Jehan laughed.   
The room erupted in laughter. He even earned a little laugh from Enjolras.   
"My mom called me it! Don't mock my mom! Eh, never mind. She won't know!" The boys could not stop laughing for three minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

The time came when the guys had to go back to their rooms. They had shared some crazy stories and corny jokes, and Joly didn't even sanitize his hands too much!  
Each boy had chemistry with the others. There were two with a problem, though. Enjolras and Grantaire. Enjolras had an evil glare towards Grantaire. R was honestly hurt. He thought they had a strong connection.   
But, when the time came, they left Joly's and Marius' room, Enjolras and Grantaire were the last ones out.  
"Yo, blondie. Hold up for a sec."  
"What do you want, Grantaire?"  
"First off, I'm sorry 'bout earlier, 'k? Really. Second, please, PLEASE, don't call me 'Grantaire' all the time. I really like it when people call me R or Taire, or heck, call me Terrence! But you don't have to call me Grantaire all the time!"  
Enjolras looked Grantaire up and down.  
"Ya," he said.  
"Ya what..."  
"Ya, as you wish, Gra- I mean, R." And with that, Enjolras whipped his hair and walked into his room, leaving a confused R in his wake.

"Cosette. Cosette. COSETTE!" cried Èponine across the crowded room.  
"What's up, Èp?"  
"Not much, you?"  
"Eh, nothing really."  
"So what building are you in, Cos? I'm in Jane Eyre."  
"Jane Eyre!"  
"No way!"  
"Well, it helps when you've got connections!"  
"Ha I totally forgot! Room number?"  
"Now I'm not sure if I could pull the room strings, though."  
"Room 309"  
"No way!"  
"What?"  
"Èponine Thènardier, we are roomies!"  
The girls squealed with excitement. They walked to their dorm talking about stupid stuff that didn't even matter and enjoyed every second of it.  
They ran into their room and started jumping on the beds and hanging up posters of hot guys and their favorite movies' posters.  
A wave of pink flooded the room incredibly quickly. They turned up the 1D and sand loudly and off key. All though Èponine wasn't a big fan of pink or One Direction, she played along for the fun of spending time with her best friend.  
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.  
"Musichetta? Azelma? What are you doing here?" asked Cosette.  
"We are your next door neighbors!" yelled Azelma.  
All four friends squealed. The four grew up together, and it was amazing to be roommates.   
"PILLOW FIGHT!" yelled Musichetta, ambushing Cosette and Èponine with pillows.


	6. Chapter 6

The alarm clock squawked at 6:30.   
Jehan walked over to a still-asleep Enjolras. "Enj. Eeeennnjjj," Jehan whispered. "ENJ!"  
"DONT LEAVE ME!" Enjolras screamed as he woke up. He was sweating and there were tears in his eyes  
"Enjolras? Is, uh, is everything alright?" Jehan asked in a scared voice.  
"Oh, uh, ya. Everything is alright," Enjolras said as he rubbed his face, relieved that what he had just seen was only a dream, or rather, a nightmare.  
"Well, you better get dressed."  
"Oh, sh!t!" Enjolras yelled as he ran to take a quick shower. He pulled on black jeans, a red hoodie, and a red beanie. His hair was still wet as he and Jehan ran out the door. 

"Welcome to school, everyone. My name is Professor Fauchelevent. I am your teacher for math, science, language arts, history, and French II. For gym, art, and music classes, you will be split up by dormitory, any questions?"  
The entire room was silent.   
"That's what I thought. So lets begin the day with history. This year we will be focussing on—" Professor Fauchelevent stopped. He looked towars the back of the college-worthy classroom and saw a boy in a red beanie raising his hand.   
This was not Enjolras. This was Grantaire. He, too, had on a red beanie.  
"Yes, Mr.—" Fauchelevent started.  
"It's Grantaire, Professor."  
"Yes, Mr. Grantaire."  
"Um, about foreign language, well, I've never taken French, and this is a French II course... What am I gonna do?"   
"Well, you may request to have either French I, or continue with whatever language you were taking. Let me tell you though, boy, that those requests do not usually go through with out a few more people who need the language."  
A shaky hand slowly came up. This one was Jehan Prouvaire's. "I have yet to take French I. I will take it with R, uh, I mean, Grantaire."  
A third hand shot up. "I will also take French I," grinned Marius.  
"As will I!" Joly stated.  
"I'm sticking with them, I'm taking French número uno!" Courf added slyly.  
Enjolras stood like an attentive leader. "Professor Fauchelevent, I, too, shall take French I. If you would permit, I will personally go and request a new language teacher. Who may I ask for?"  
"Go speak to the principal. Tell him Mr. Lamarque will do you well. Young man, go down to the office immediately and tell them. And both you and Mr. Grantaire may take off your beanies, hats are not allowed in the school dress code."  
"Sir, may I ask one more thing of you?"  
"What is it now–"  
"—Enjolras, sir—"  
"Enjolras!"  
"May I take one of my friends with me? So I should not get lost?"  
"No, but you may take my daughter. She knows the school inside and out. Be back in no more than ten minutes. You are dismissed. As I was saying, history is—"  
His voice was cut off by a door slamming. Suddenly, Enjolras was joined by a gorgeous young woman.


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm incredibly sorry for my father, Enjolras. He is completely embarrassing," she said in her sing-songy voice.  
"I didn't realize Professor was your father."  
"Well, I've gotten used to it. When I was younger, he used to homeschool me. I've never had another teacher."  
"Wow. I've had multiple teachers. I used to have different teachers for every subject and one class would have 27 kids in it!"  
"That sounds incredibly weird to me."   
They both chuckled. "I'm very sorry, ma'am, but I never seemed to have caught your name."  
"Ah, I'm Cosette."  
"Pleasure."  
"You are a well spoken man, Enjolras."  
"As are you, Cosette."  
"Thank you."  
There was a moment of silence.  
"Enjolras, we will be taking a right up at this next hallway. So, tell me about your family."  
"Well I have a mom, and a dad. My best friend practically grew up in my house, though. His parents are divorced so my house was an escape. He's like my brother. He is my brother."  
"Im an only child. The closest things to sisters are my best friends, Azelma, Musichetta, and Èponine. Èp is my closest friend though. But my family is just my dad and I."  
"Where's your mom?"  
"Oh, uh, she died..."  
"Oh, I'm incredibly sorry to hear that."  
"No, it's fine. I never actually knew her very well."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Again, it's fine." Cosette cleared the lump in her throat.  
"If it makes you feel any better, that friend I was talking about is fighting cancer."  
Cosette bumped Enjolras with her shoulder. "We're gonna turn out just fine, Enj."  
They suddenly got quiet.  
The office loomed near. The door was shut, and there was a cold draft coming from under it. All of the blinds were drawn.  
"Miss Cosette, I'm assuming this is our destination."  
"Hopefully not our final one."  
Enjolras shot a concerned look Cosette's way. "What?"  
"Oh, it's just Principal Javert is incredibly strict. Let me play him for you. I've got this down."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Psh, 'Are you sure?' I'm one hundred percent sure I can work him."


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean they can't have Mr. Lamarque teach them French I?"  
"Miss Fauchelevent, my word is final."  
"Principal Javert, if I may, you have to! These boys are practically being set up for failure! How is that fair?"  
"I am the principal, Cosette, and that is my final word!" He slammed his fist on the desk. Tears welled up in Cosette's eyes as she whipped her hair around and left the office.  
Cosette ran into Enjolras' arms. Rage filled his eyes.   
"Shhh, you're okay. Cosette, I'll be right back, okay? I'm gonna give this 'Great Man' a piece of my mind..."  
Enjolras stormed into the office. "Principal Javert, I demand Mr. Lamarque to teach my friends and I French! We don't know French. How are we supposed to know any of the vocabulary we need."  
Javert chuckled. "Enjolras, you have moxie. A little too much moxie, but moxie none the less. You remind me of a younger me. So I have decided to let you take French I with Mr. Lamarque. But believe me when I say, if you or another one of your hooligans cut class one time, trust me when I say you will get kicked back into French II and even French III if the day is right."  
"Deal."  
Enjolras and Javert had a six heartbeat stare down when the door to the office opened. "Excuse me, Principal Javert, but Enjolras and I must get to class."  
Javert eyed Enjolras. "Thank you, Miss Fauchelevent. That will be all."  
Cosette grabbed Enjolras' hand and yanked him out of the office as quickly as possible.


	9. Chapter 9

"Enjolras, you have just saved my grade!" Marius said as he hugged Enjolras after the bell.  
Enjolras squirmed uncomfortably. "Marius. Marius, get off."  
Jehan, Joly, R, and Courf followed behind Marius.   
Cheers of praise found their way to Enjolras' ears. A small, proud smile crept it's way to Enjolras' face.   
"Lets go back to the dorms," Enjolras commanded. The group, lead by Enjolras, walked back to their dorms.  
"Hey Enjolras!" Cosette waved to him. Cosette was joined by, who Enjolras thought, was Èponine.  
"Hello, Cosette," he replied.  
Grantaire felt a pang of something go up his heart. The feeling, it was one he knew well. He never knew what it was, but he was gonna find out soon.   
"Hey, uh, Courf," Grantaire walked up to Courferyac. He was talking to Jehan and pointing out little things about the grounds.   
"Yep?"  
"So, um, I'm a painter, and I was wondering if I could set up my easel and paints? They kinda smell but-"  
"Ya. As I was saying, Punzie," and Courf went on talking to Jehan.

At the same time, Marius and Joly were talking about class. Enjolras kept glancing back at them, waiting for someone to say something to him. But they didn't. Outcast already?  
No.  
"So blondie, what kind of music do you listen to?" How did Enjolras know that that voice was Grantaire's? "Well I listen to-"  
"Let me guess. Heavy metal shit that will kill your ears?"  
"Um, no, actually..."  
"Then what do you listen to? Gospel?"  
"Well, that and Broadway music. I only listen to a bit of gospel."  
Enjolras' mouth hit the ground. "Are you serious?"  
"Hey, didn't mama tell you not to judge a book by it's cover? I used to listen to rock, and there are still a couple bands I like, but ya grow out of it, ya know?"  
Enjolras was still shocked.  
"So what do you listen to?" R asked, getting back to the question.  
"Mmhmn..."  
"What?"  
"I listen to classical music, mostly." Lies. He also loved broadway. It was his dream to stand on that stage. He tried to change the conversation. "What do ya wanna be after school? I want to be a politician when I'm older."  
"I believe in you," Grantaire said. The truth in his voice was strong enough to move mountains.  
"You don't know what you're believing in..."  
"I know exactly what I'm believing in. You."  
A chill went up Enjolras' back. There was no doubt in Rs voice. None. There was no way for Enjolras to say that that was fake. It would've been too fake.   
"I believe in you "R said again.  
This plunged Enjolras and Grantaire into an inevitable silence back to the dorm.  
The boys exchanged their 'goodbyes' and 'see you in the morning's and walked back to their room to start on homework.

Marius and Joly quickly ran into their room and changed into their pajamas. They had seemed to have meshing personalities. They had become great friends in the short time they knew each other.  
"So, Marius, who were you looking at today? Was it that Èponine girl?"  
"No. I liked the blonde. Cosette is her name."  
"Dude, you like the professors daughter?"  
A panic flooded Marius' face.   
"Hey, it'll be alright," Joly said as he doused the room in Lysol. "You are going to turn out 100% fine."


	10. Chapter 10

"Isn't Jehan great, R? He's so awesome! He is like a little flower! And an angel! I mean, he's the coolest dude ever!" Courf yelled.  
"Mmm," R muttered as he sketched out his next painting in his sketch book. It was pretty much blank. "Courf, Courf describe Jehan again?"  
"Awesome, little flower, angel-"  
"That's it!" Grantaire feverishly sketched his design onto paper.   
"Dude, what are you doing?"  
"Using your in-spi-ration!" And with the last grunt, he finished.  
It was a gorgeous piece. It showed an angelic figure walking through a field of flowers. To the angels right they were dead, but to the left, they were thriving. The angel stuck his hand out palm down as though repelling the badness to the dead flowers. His palm was up, as if welcoming happiness, on the other side.   
"Grantaire, that's, that's incredible! I'm speechless!" Courf shouted. When it came to Jehan, Courf could never keep quiet.  
"Well, I'm excited for tomorrow night!"  
"Why?"  
"Well, it's Friday so ill have all night to do this painting."  
"Ugh, R, you can't!"  
"Why is that?"  
"We're going partying! Me and Jehan were gonna ask you, Joly, Marius, and Enjolras to go!"  
"No, I'm better off here. I'm like a cat. I want to go out really badly, and then after ten minutes, I can't wait to leave."  
Courfeyrac's head was cocked to the side. "Uh, oh, ok. Whatever you say..." And he meant it.

 

"Enjolras, isn't Courfeyrac great! He's so kind and gentile and dude, he's the spiffiest person!"  
Enjolras had been listening to this for an hour. On. And. On. And. On! All about Courf! Or, 'Flynn!'   
"Oh, Flynn's amazing!" he'd say. "No one could compare!" he'd say.  
Now, with common sense, no one would blame the poet. But Enjolras' common sense MOST CERTAINLY did NOT include friendship or romance.  
Enjolras, swimming in a sea of new books and papers and crisp pens looked at his blank paper. He was doing French history (ha!), a topic Enjolras knew very well. He literally could not tune Jehan out.  
Most of this stuff is due Monday. Ill just do it tomorrow, Enjolras thought. Or I could just go downstairs! he thought.  
"Hey, JP, I'm gonna go down to the Notre Dame room, k?"  
"Oh, okay." Jehan sighed, expecting to go on longer about "the night in shining armor!"

 

"Hey Courf, I'm going down to the Notre Dame room, k?" R said  
"Oh, okay." Courf replied


	11. Chapter 11

The Notre Dame room was a sort of common room on the first floor of the Hugo building. It was very rarely used. It was the only air conditioned room in the entire building, which was great since the heat was unforgiving in August.   
Enjolras grabbed his iPod and Beats along with his school work. Enj turned on the lights in the room. He needed his peace and quiet.  
And he wouldn't get it.  
Grantaire grabbed his phone and his books. He was surprised when he saw the lights on.   
Enjolras felt his headphones being taken off his ears.   
"Speak of the devil," R said.  
This is going to be a loooong couple months, Enjolras thought. Winter break, winter break! he prayed.  
"Hello, Grantaire. How are you?"  
"Coooozy!" Enjolras looked at Grantaire. He was in fuzzy pajamas and dino slippers.  
R started doing a dance in his pjs and slippers. Enjolras covered his face with his hands.   
Is he for real? Enjolras thought.  
A fast paced song blasted from Grantaire's phone.  
"Monsieur Enjolras, may I have this dance?"  
Enjolras took his hands away from his eyes. "WHA-" was all Enj could get out before he was swept off his feet.   
Literally.  
R danced Enjolras around like a rag doll. Enjolras' feet were not touching the ground. The only time they did was in the middle of the song when R prepped to lift Enjolras like a Disney princess. He flew Enjolras in the air and Enjolras actually kinda sorta smiled.   
By the end of the song, Enjolras' beanie was off, and R was down one slipper. And R wouldn't let go of Enjolras' waist. That too.  
"R. Uh, R." Grantaire's eyes were locked on Enj.   
"Oh, uh, sorry, blondie."   
Enjolras was speechless.  
"Well, blondie, I best be getting back to my room. See ya tomorrow!" R said as he ruffled Enj's hair.   
Enjolras literally did not know what to do. He sat there for five minutes thinking about what'd just happened. With that, Enjolras dove into his French history work.


	12. Chapter 12

"Professor Fauchelevent, may I see the Amis, please?" Principal Javert asked the next day.   
"Of course. You are excused." No one budged. "I don't know if you heard me, but Amis, you are excused!"  
R leaned into Joly. "Do ya think he means us?"  
"I'm too terrified to find out..." Joly replied.  
"Oh, excuse me. Amis means friends in French. So, Mr. Enjolras, take you and your Amis to the hallway."  
They filed out, with Marius bringing up the rear.   
"Hello, lads. I am Principal Javert, for those who don't know me." Javert cast a nasty glance at Enjolras. "I am glad to inform you that Professor Lamarque is to arrive in three  
weeks."  
"Three weeks?"  
"Wait, what?"  
"How are we gonna catch on?"  
"I'm so confused..."  
"Why do we have to wait?"  
"I don't get why-"  
"ENOUGH!"  
The boys were more scared than a sinner in church.  
"Professor Lamarque is retired. He lives in Florida, now. It'll take a while to have arrangements set and plane tickets booked. For now, you have free period at the end of the day but DONT make me regret trusting you." Another sharp glare went Enjolras' way.   
Grantaire, standing next to Enjolras, stuck an arm in front of Enjolras, the only protection he could then give. "Free period starts at 2:30, which it is now. You are excused."   
The boys ran ASAP to grab their backpacks and bolted to the dorm. They piled into Enjolras' and Jehan's room. They sat in silence for the longest time, trembling, scared, and concerned.   
"Guys!" Enjolras said. "Are we gonna let a man who sits at his desk and eats doughnuts all day control how we feel? Really? Cuz if you do, then you aren't the men I thought you were. Cuz if you do, I just want you to get out." Enjolras pointed toward the door.   
The guys shuffled in their spots, but no one left. The only one who dared look him in the eye was Grantaire. There was a positive glow in his Rs stormy grey-blue eyes.   
R gave Enjolras a reassuring wink. E stood up a little taller and held his head a little higher.   
Enjolras took a breath in to start again, and all at one time, alerts went off on Joly's, Marius', Courf's, and Jehan's phone. "What is it now?" They were terrified of Enjolras at that moment. "Well?"  
"Um, we actually have to get ready," Courf said. We're going to a party in an hour and-"  
"Go." Enjolras interrupted.  
"We wanted you to come-"  
Jehan was cut off by a scornful look.   
"Go" Enjolras repeated.  
They all left to get ready. Even Jehan, who's clothes were in that very room, left.  
They all left. Except Grantaire. "What are you still doing here?" Enjolras asked.  
"I'm not going."  
"Well, you should go 'Get ready'" Enjolras made air quotes.   
"No, I mean I'm not going to the party."  
"R, I know- Wait, you're not even going?"   
"No."  
Enjolras just stared. "Please just go."   
R backed out of the room slowly. His hand found it difficult to find the knob.  
"I'm, I'm so sorry," he whispered.  
Enjolras threw himself on the bed. He put his head in his hands. He needed to just be alone!  
A lightbulb lit above his head. The Notre Dame room! He grabbed his phone and checked the peephole. No one. He raced down the stairs.  
Little did Enjolras know he was being followed. He didn't know it, of course.   
Grantaire didn't know Enjolras was being followed, either. He headed on down to the Notre Dame room after Jehan's and Courf's "No YOURE better!" game got really really old. He really just needed quiet to work on his painting.   
As R was about to turn the knob to the Notre Dame room, he heard the ancient piano being tested out.   
Seconds later, he heard a voice.  
"Hey Ferre! It's Enj! Oh- ya, I miss you too. How are you? Oh, I was worried you'd be lonely without me! No, I'm not lonely. I'm actually in amazing company." Rs heart melted, and his hand slipped off the door. "I found a piano here and, I don't know, you always liked it so I thought, ya know, why not?"  
R then heard the phone being clicked on to speaker phone. The saddest noise in the whole world hit his ears. "Oh, Enjolras, I'm so excited!" The voice sounded so broken, so empty, so lonely.   
So sick.  
The first keys were hit. A Thousand Miles. It was a slower, more delicate version, though, like it could break at any moment. The first lyrics poured out of his mouth.


	13. Chapter 13

"Making my way downtown walking fast faces pass and I'm home bound."  
E's voice was angelic. It sounded as if someone literally pulled an angel from Heaven and put him on earth to sing. It was fragile, glasslike. But it was so powerful that, like glass, you knew it could carelessly cut you.  
Grantaire felt his stomach drop. He felt his heart shatter. He felt a tear reach his cheek. All in one moment.   
Enjolras kept singing, and R couldn't function. He stood like a statue, hearing Enjolras singing.   
The end was arriving. "And I still need you. And I still miss you. And now I wonder...." Enjolras' throat caught. Grantaire swore he heard the tear that dripped down Enjolras' face.   
"If I could just... Just see you, if I could just hold you..."   
Grantaire did not think Enjolras was going to make it to the last word.   
But Enj was powerful. He could break 400 year old wall.  
"Tonight." Enjolras played the outro with ease and grace.   
The broken and shattered voice came on, but with a bit more happiness. "Oh, Enjolras, that was amazing! Call me again soon! You know I love that song."  
"Thats why I played it for you, Combeferre!"  
"Oh. I have good news!"  
"Oh my god, really?"   
"Guess who's gonna be at school by Valentines Day?"  
"No way! Dude that's so much sooner than I expected. I can't wait!"  
"What mom? Ugh, Enj, I gotta go."  
"Aw, I'll call ya soon, k?"  
"Promise?"   
"Course, Ferre."  
"Love you."  
"Love you too, bro."  
There was complete silence. Deafening silence. Ear-splitting silence. But a silence, nonetheless.   
"It's too cold outside for angels to fly," Enjolras said in rhythm.  
Enjolras put on a strong face and left the Notre Dame room. He obliviously passed R. Grantaire would've been safe too, if he hadn't dropped his canvas.


	14. Chapter 14

"Who's there?" Enj came around the corner. "I SAID WHO'S THERE?!"  
"It's just me," croaked Grantaire.  
"HOW MUCH OF THAT DID YOU HEAR?"  
"How much of what?" He had to go with the flow for now. He didn't wanna embarrass Enj. He'd tell him later. Ya, later.  
Just not now.  
"Good."   
They just kind of stood there, unsure of what they were going to do. Then, R heard footsteps. The guys heading to the party. Grantaire, in one swift movement, pulled Enjolras and his supplies into the room, shut the door, and turned off the lights.  
R put a hand over Enj's mouth to delay his objecting.  
"MMMNHMNHNNMNNNNHMNNNHMM!" Enj thrashed.  
"Enjolras, shut the hell up."  
That's when Enjolras heard the stomping feet, too. He looked confused, and slightly panicked.   
"Party," R mouthed.   
Enjolras nodded his head.  
"Who's ready to party?" They heard Jehan say outside.   
In unison, as though mentally synchronized, Enjolras and Grantaire looked at each other and rolled their eyes. That's when Grantaire blushed. Thank goodness they were in the dark.  
"Uh, Jehan? Courf?" Joly asked.  
E and R again looked at each other with a concerned look.   
"Yes?" They both said. "Jinx. JINX AGAIN!"   
Enjolras pointed to his tongue. "Blech!" he whispered.  
R chuckled under his breath.   
"I'm drop dead serious."  
"As am I."  
"Grantaire stop-"   
"YES WE ARE HOLDING HANDS!" Jehan yelled.  
Enjolras and Grantaire looked at each other and their jaws dropped. They cracked the door  
Jehan and Courf were taking things a little too fast, it seemed.


	15. Chapter 15

"Come on guys! We're gonna be laaaaate!" Jehan whined.  
"We're coming! We're coming!" cried Marius.  
Jehan had found his room empty and changed.   
Courf knocked on the door.  
"Wow, you look great!" Courf said.  
Ok it honestly looked like Jehan just grabbed random clothes from the drawer.   
Jehan blushed as a red rose in bloom.  
"I like you," Jehan said. As I said before, Jehan didn't have any friends, so he didn't really know what was good to tell and what wasn't. Jehan reached out and grabbed Courf's hand.  
"And I like you Jehan."  
They all headed down the stairs.   
"Gosh I'm so excited to go to the party!" Jehan said before he opened the door to go outside with his free hand.   
Marius and Joly looked at each other with weird looks.  
"Uh, Jehan? Courf?" Joly asked.  
"Yes?" They both said. "Jinx. JINX AGAIN!"   
"Um Marius and I, we were just, I mean you, and you, I mean-"  
"YES WE ARE HOLDING HANDS!" Jehan yelled.  
The whole world went silent.   
"I'm gay, guys. I should've told you." Jehan said. His face dropped, and they all realized why he didn't have any friends.  
"Jehan, I-"  
"It's alright, Courf. It's alright."   
Jehan gingery unlaced his fingers from Courf's.  
"Lets go," Jehan whispered.  
Jehan darted off, and Marius followed, as did Joly. Courf stood there for a minute.   
'I didn't enjoy that, did I?' Courf asked himself. Did he? Ya, ya he did. He couldn't bring himself to realize that, though.  
"Hey, uh, Courf? Ya coming?" Joly asked, popping his head back into the lobby.  
"Uh, ya, ya, I'm coming." He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah I'm coming," he repeated, as if Joly had asked again.

 

Enj and Taire looked at each other. There was an elephant in the room.   
Courfeyrac shut the door. He muttered a swear word as he closed the door.   
Grantaire and Enjolras stood for a full minute before they dared to peer out of the room.  
"The coast is clear," R whispered.  
"Then why are we whispering?" Enjolras asked.  
"I'm not sure but it does sound dramatic! Dun-dun-dun-dun-dunnnn!" R sang a little spy tune. He had his gun made out of his hands. "Bond, James Bond," he said in a deep voice.  
Enj smiled a little bit because of the stupidity of the conversation. He walked over and flicked on the lights.   
R looked back at the piano. "I didn't know there was a piano in here!" R said. Lies.  
"Wow, uh, neither did I..." Enjolras said.   
"I always love when people play! I can't myself, though. I've never been able to pick it up."  
"I can play!" Enjolras said proudly with his head held high.   
"Oh, what songs?"  
"I can play a whole lot of songs!"  
"Can you do me a favor and play me a song?"  
"What song?"  
"The last one you played." R loved that song. Enjolras made A Thousand Miles seem effortless. But as Enjolras ' fingers hit the keys, it was obvious that A Thousand Miles was not the song he was going to be playing.


	16. Chapter 16

The house was loud and hoping. Colored, tacky lights were strung from the ceiling, the couch, the TV, and, well, any place you could hang lights.  
Lets just say it'd hurt to sit on the toilet that night.  
There were so many people drinking and making out and getting into each others pants.  
Jehan b-lined for the beer. Courf went to drink after Jehan got his.  
Marius and Joly opted out of drinking, and it was a good thing.   
"Joly?" Marius nudged.  
"Yes, Pontmercy?"  
"I'm not sure what to do... I'm socially awkward."  
"You came to the wrong person, my man."  
"Oh, Joly, Joly, there she is," Marius said as he tugged at Joly's shirt as if he was begging for candy.   
There she was. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her shiny blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders like the sun's light on a hill.   
"Wow," Marius said.  
Joly thought she was beautiful, sure, but not as beautiful as the girl standing next to her.  
That girl was Musichetta. "I like the brunette," Joly sheepishly admitted.   
"Is her hair down or up?"  
"Down." The girl with her hair up was Èponine. She looked so beautiful, and was drinking heavily. It didn't look to faze her, though. Èponine thought Marius was looking at her.   
A fatal mistake. Literally.  
Joly straightened out his jacket. He looked down at his shoes. "I'm gonna talk to her, Marius. I'm gonna-OOF!"   
Beer was spilled down Joly's front. "Oh, sir, I'm so sorry!" Joly looked up to see that it was the pretty girl that had spilled beer on him. "I'm not drinking, my friend is and she- ugh, what's the point?"  
"Oh, uh, no, no it's, uh, it's fine," he said. Her eyes, and her hair, and just, wow!  
She took a napkin and blotted out Joly's jacket. "My name is Musichetta. I'm in tenth grade."  
This was good and bad for Joly. She was younger. She'd never be in his classes. But then again, she wouldn't be a cougar, he thought.   
"Oh, uh, my name is Joly."  
"Oh, Joly! You signed up for the med course right?"  
"Oh, uh, ya! How'd you-"   
"I signed up right after you!"  
"Woah..."  
Joly sucked at flirting.  
"Ya know," Chetta started, "that I was reading this article that said we don't actually see ourselves in the mirror as we actually look! It says we see ourselves as we think people see us! Crazy, huh?"  
"Oh my God, isn't it?"  
"I guess that's why I see myself as ugly..."  
The door was wide open. WIDE open.  
"Oh, uh, wow." Joly ALMOST stopped before realizing what she needed to hear. "But, you aren't, I mean, your not ugly."  
"Really?"  
"You're, uh, you're gorgeous," he said, his voice shaky and inconsistent.   
"You know, you're pretty gorgeous yourself," she replied with a smile on her face.  
Damn, Joly thought. She is amazing.


	17. Chapter 17

Marius was left alone to stare at Cosette. Jehan drank, it seemed, half the keg. Courf drank, it seemed, the other half. Joly was talking to Musichetta.  
Well, actually, Musichetta was talking. Joly was sitting there too nervous to speak.   
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna talk to her!"Marius whispered. He walked over to Cosette.   
Èponine was about to say hi, when Cosette did.   
"Hello," Marius said back to Cosette.  
Èponine was enraged.   
They couldn't take their eyes off each other.   
"Cos, I think it's time we should just get going," Èponine said.  
"No, no Èponine. I think we can stay for a few minutes."  
Marius slammed his lips into Cosette's.  
"You guys are so drunk..." Èponine said as she walked out of the house.   
Neither of them drank.   
"If they don't end up in bed, I'll be shocked..." she whispered as she turned the knob to leave.  
They were both virgins, and proud of it.   
Èponine walked home. The alcohol messed with her head. I regret saying what I did about Cosette, Èponine thought.   
Èponine had lost her virginity in sophomore year the same night she had her first drink. It was the whole reason she was there, to straighten her out. And it did. Well, the part about her not having sex. She still drank every once and a while.  
"I regret it all," she said as she reached her room and passed out in her bed.

 

"It's out," a hammered Jehan said to a hammered Courfeyrac as Courf tried to fill his cup.  
"Shit," Courf muttered.   
"I know right?" JP slurred.  
"It sucks..."  
"I don't think I wanted any alcohol in the first place," Jehan confessed.  
"Huh, neither did I!"  
"I just needed to," Jehan paused to take a sip, "forget."  
"What, Punzie? What would you ever need to forget?"  
"You," Jehan said as his wet blue eyes looked up into Courf's cocoa brown ones.  
"Punzie,"  
"Flynn," Jehan said breathily.   
"Punzie!" Courf yelled, concerned.   
Jehan fell, passed out drunk.   
His head would've hit the sharp table edge if Courf wasn't there.  
"Shit!" Courf yelled. He knew he was drunk and wouldn't be able to carry him back without help. "Marius! Joly!" he yelled. "MARIUS! JOLY!" Courfeyrac was in tears. Drunk, salty tears.  
The guys came rushing.   
"Help me. Help me carry him back!" Courf sobbed.  
Marius took Jehan and threw him over his shoulder. "DONT HURT HIM!" Courf blubbered.  
Joly took Courfeyrac's hand. "Shh, shhh, shhh, shhh. If you wanna see Jehan okay then you need to calm down and come with me."  
Joly led Courf out if the house. "Come on, come on," he whispered the whole way back.


	18. Chapter 18

Enjolras hit the keys with a striking force. Music of the Night came pouring out. He played the intro and took a breath to start singing. But, R cut him off and started singing.   
"Nighttime, sharpens, heightens each sensation," R said tracing a line across Enjolras' shoulders. R kept touching Enjolras, and E hardly squirmed.   
"Silently the senses abandon their defenses," and with this, R planted a kiss on Enjolras' head. Enj pulled his head away quickly.  
R dramatically draped the curtains around him and then threw them shut. Enjolras laughed at R's stupidity and they couldn't stop smiling. Well, Enjolras smiled only as much as was capable for him then.  
The boys were so happy, just living in the moment.  
And then that moment ended.  
They heard Courf's crying before they saw the boys running into the room. Marius carried Jehan like a babe. He set JP on a long couch.   
"God, Jehan is wasted!" Joly said. There was sweat pouring off of Jehan's head.  
Enjolras and Grantaire had extremely panic-stricken looks on their faces.   
"What the..." R said.  
"Jehan and Courf drank a lot, Jehan passed out, the end," Marius said.  
"Damn, did they really drink that much?" Enjolras muttered.  
"I'm honestly not too surprised," Grantaire replied.  
Enj shot a sharp glance at R.  
Joly, who had disappeared, came back with a bucket of ice water. He doused a towel in it, first, and set it on Jehan's forehead. He threw the rest at Courf's face.  
"BLEUBEJEVDHAJADB! JOLY WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Courf yelled.  
"Good, your kinda okay," Joly said.   
Courf shrugged, the cold water having sobered him. "Wait, why is Jehan here?"  
"Courf, really, you-"   
"No, I mean, why isn't he up in his room?" The guys went silent. Enjolras and Grantaire were still incredibly confused.  
Courf picked up Jehan without any words, and took him to his room.   
Courferyac set Jeham on the bed. He pulled the braid out of Jehan's hair and put the ponytail holder on his wrist. He quickly knotted Jehan's hair up in a bun. Courf ran into the bathroom and got a garbage can incase Jehan got sick. He ran back to JP and ripped his shirt off. He took a wet towel to Jehan's sopping wet forehead. The sweat was pouring off of his body like a dump bucket at a water park.  
The others came rushing in. Their hearts all softened when they heard Courf's whispers. "Hey Jehan. It's me, Courf. I know you probably can't hear me, but I wanna take care of you. I wanna be here and I am gonna be here. You're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay." Courf rubbed Jehan's hand.   
Then Courf threw up.


	19. Chapter 19

"Marius," dump, "is," dump, "so," dump, "lucky!" Joly said as he sloshed the stuff out of the barf bucket for the tenth time.   
"Joly, let it go!" R said. Joly had been complaining since nine. That's when Marius left.  
It was noon.   
Joly, Enjolras, and Grantaire were taking care of Courf and Jehan. After Courf got sick, they put him in Enjolras' bed. Enjolras had to sleep in Rs room, with no complaints from R.  
Marius was on a date  
Both Jehan and Courf had been waking up every twenty to thirty minutes to throw up, or take Tums. Neither of them had been up at the same time, though.   
"Damn... R! Enjolras! We're outta ginger ale! Can you guys go to, like, Bulls Eye and get some?"  
"You mean Target?" asked R with a snickering tone.  
"Ya, just get it."  
"Okay, whatever you say..." R said, dragging Enjolras slowly out of the room.  
There was an awkward silence before Joly muttered, "I need to get more Tums..." before heading back to his room.

 

"Open up!" Marius said dreamily as he took a perfectly dipped chocolate covered strawberry to Cosette's lips.  
"Oh, Marius, this is delicious! Here. You try one." She popped one in his mouth.   
"Yum. These are really sweet, Cosette, but-"  
"But?"  
"They aren't as sweet as you!"  
Cosette burst out laughing at the bad pun. She fell into the shallow pile of golden leaves behind her.  
The serene garden was perfect. You could leave and come back in fifty years and it'd look almost exactly the same. That's why the students called it the Infinity Garden. Marius and Cosette could've lived in that secluded garden forever. Oh, how they were intoxicated by each other!   
Their hands were locked so firmly, the winds of a tornado couldn't have pulled them apart. Cosette took in the scent of the sweet-smelling leaves around her. Marius joined her, and she placed her head on his shoulder.  
"We can just stay here," she whispered to Marius.  
"Oh, ya?"  
"Ya. We could live with the land. Have ten kids. Teach them how to dream."  
"Cosette, I'm not sure-"  
"I know. I know."  
She didn't know. She just didn't want to be stung by his words if she didn't like them.  
"Cosette, please, darling. Let me finish."  
"Alright." She braced herself for the worst.  
"I'm not sure how to say this,but you are the love of my life. You are my angel and my light. I love you Cosette," he said and sat up.  
Cos sat up and threw herself into the smashing young man.  
"And I love you, Marius!" she cried with tears of ecstasy in her eyes


	20. Chapter 20

Jehan woke up to get more ginger ale. He reached for his bottle and opened it up. A drip of the sweet liquid hit his tongue.   
"It's empty," Courf grumbled.  
Jehan jumped. "Holy shit, Courfeyrac. Don't scare me like that ever again!"  
Courf's mouth dropped. It was the first time Jehan had called him by his full, real name.  
"Well, Jean," Courf put emphasis on Jean, "I'm sorry."  
Jehan got really mad. "Why'd you call me Jean?"  
"Well, why'd you call me Courfeyrac?"  
"It's your name!"  
"Well, I used your name, too!"  
The boys started screaming at each other. Back and forth and back and forth, until they just started yelling over each other. Then Courf took a step out of line.  
"If you never took my hand-" and Courf pulled his hand to his mouth.  
That sent Jehan over the edge. "So? Is that how you feel? Is this how you want it to end? All over me being gay? We've spent nearly every hour of this past week and a half together and you couldn't tell? Wow, Courf. Wow. Maybe you're not-"  
"Stop!" Courf yelled.  
Jehan looked at Courf with wet eyes. "What Courf?" JP whispered.  
"Shit, Punzie, shit!" Courf ran over to Jehan and hugged him so very tight. Jehan immediately collapsed into Courf's arms. "Punzie, I didn't mean anything. None of it. You are perfect. I just think we need to take it one step at a time. Ya. Just one step at a time."  
Jehan's sobs drenched Courf's shirt. "I'm- so- very- sorryyyyyy!" JP blubbered.  
"If there's anyone that has to be sorry, it's me, Punzie."  
This made Jehan cry even harder.   
They sat in Jehan's bed and Courf just let Jehan cry.  
Courf took in the sweet-pea scent as Jehan fell asleep sobbing 

 

"BABY YOURE A SONG YA MAKE ME WANNA ROLL MY WINDOWS DOWN AND CRUUUUUUISE!" R sang.  
Enjolras covered his ears.   
"A BRAND NEW CHEVY WITH A LIFT KICK! IT'D- hey, what was that for?"  
Enjolras had turned off the radio, not wanting to hear the next lyrics.  
"Sorry, it's just migraines," Enjolras said.  
"Dude, it's cool. You coulda just told me!"  
"Oh..."  
They got really quiet.   
"So, Enj, tell me about your family."  
"That is very off topic! Why would you ask that?"  
"I just wanna know you better! Besides, are you a chicken?"  
"You did not call me a chicken when I said had migraines!"  
"Dude, migraines are ligit. They HURT! So, blondie, family."  
"Why do you need this information?"  
"Chicken"  
Enjolras looked at R and sternly said, "I am NOT a chicken!"  
"Then," Grantaire started, "tell me about your fam."  
"Well, I have a mom, and her name is Lynda. She's got chestnut brown hair, but it was beach blonde when she was younger. My dads name is Jack. He's tall and has blonde hair, but it's more of a golden blonde. He always wanted me to play sports, but I never did." Enjolras dazed out, reliving the moments of his dad yelling at him for not throwing the football right.  
"So, uh, no siblings, blondie?" R asked, breaking the silence.  
"No. I'm an only child. My parents tried and tried, but couldn't conceive another child. I do, though, have a best friend who's like a brother. His name is Combeferre. His parents divorced when we were young, and we, my family, took him in. I don't remember a week after I was eight that he wasn't at my house."  
"Eight?"  
"Yes. That's when he moved in. His parents filed for divorce shortly after."  
"It seems like you miss him," R said, realizing that Ferre was the person Enj had been on the phone with a few nights previous.  
"I do. I called him the other night because he has-" Enjolras stopped himself.  
"He has what?" R asked.  
"He has, uh, he has had a lot of homework lately and I called him to make sure he wasn't cracking under the pressure."  
"Why'd he stay home?" R asked, knowing the answer.  
"He's got a girlfriend. He loves her to dea- I mean, to infinity." Lies. Ferre didn't have a girlfriend.  
"Oh, cool," R said. "Hey look! It's Target! I feel like I go in there looking for a roll of paper towels, and come out with a bunch of shit I don't need, am I right?"  
"And you don't even end up getting the paper towels! I know the feeling all too well."  
"Well, lets hope we get the ginger ale!"  
The pair walked into Target and headed immediately for the dollar section. R tried on every silly hat he could find, while Enjolras just stood and tried not to laugh. Then, E's eyes found a little yellow package that nearly brought him to tears.  
"Lemon Heads," Enjolras whispered.  
"What's that blondie?" Grantaire said, emerging from behind the shelf with a dino hat on.  
"No, uh, I just saw a pack of Lemon Heads, and those are Ferres and my favorite candy."  
"Get two!" R exclaimed  
"Really?"  
"Yep, I'm treatin'!" and with a wink, R disappeared behind the shelf

 

The two walked out an hour later with five large bags full of movies, popcorn, LEGO's, and other junk they did NOT need.  
"That was awesome!" R yelled in the parking lot. "I can't believe we almost got thrown out!"  
"YOU almost got thrown out," Enjolras corrected. E was following the rules, thank you very much.  
"But how would you have gotten back to the dorm without me?"  
Enj stopped dead in his tracks as R laughed and kept walking.  
"But you gotta admit," R paused to take a bite our of his candy bar, "I was skilled at rollerblading in the aisles."  
"Yeah, sure, whatever."  
"You're a cool dude, Enjolras."  
Enj turned his head sharply towards R.  
"Thanks Terrence!"  
"Terrence?"  
"I don't forget!" Enj roared as he ran into the passenger side. R just stood and stared for a moment. He smirked his little smirk  
R hopped into the car and turned on the radio.  
"Fall Out Boys, yes!" R said before jumping into the chorus.

 

Halfway home, the boys looked at each other.  
"We forgot the ginger ale," they said in unison.


	21. Chapter 21

"Thank god you're here! What took you so long? And what's all of that?" Joly asked as Enjolras and Grantaire walked into Joly's dorm.  
R looked at Enjolras and started laughing.  
"What's so funny?" Joly asked obliviously  
This only made R laugh harder.  
"Well, Jehan is, for some reason, crying and Courf is consoling him, so I think we should just leave them alone."  
"I'm heading down to the ND to finish my painting if anyone wants to come with me."  
"I'm coming!" said Marius, who had just walked through the door from his 9 to 8 date.  
All four of them had something in their hands. R was still working on painting Jehan's picture, and so he needed nearly every color of his paints.   
"R," Marius grunted. He got stuck carrying the heavy easel as punishment for not helping the boys take care of JP and Courf. "How do you lug all of this stuff around all of the time?"  
R didn't answer the question. They didn't need to know. Not yet. "So, Pontmercy, how was your date?"  
"R you never-"  
"I KNOW! I mean, I don't want to talk about it."  
They arrived at the room seconds later.   
"So, Pontmercy, how was your date?" R repeated.  
This sent Marius spiraling into every detail of the date.  
"Oh, it was wonderful! She looked amazing, and I saw a little but of her leg! HER LEG!" At this, they all chuckled. "What? She's very modest! It's a big deal! I lo-" Marius covered his mouth.  
Enjolras' eyes opened wide, Joly's jaw dropped, and Grantaire started rolling on the floor with laughter.  
"You- you didn't TELL her you, uh, love her, did you?" asked a thumb-twiddling Joly.  
Marius turned his signature shade of red.  
In the moments after, R shoved a 'bouquet' of paintbrushes in Enjolras' hands. Enj had hardly enough time to mutter a confused, "What?" before being forced up facing Marius.  
"I pronounce you husband and wife!" R said, acting as the officiant.  
"R, stop," Marius said, his face red with both embarrassment and anger.  
"Ah, forgive me. Marius amours, and I cannot help my self, friend."  
Marius, who had loosened up a bit, started to laugh at himself a little. "It's cool,Taire. It's cool."  
"Now, who's ready to see me work?" R said, clapping his hands together.  
With no reply, he pulled the canvas out of it's protective blanket.  
"OHMYGOD!" Enjolras cried.  
"What's wrong?" Joly asked.  
"This painting," Joly breathed a sigh of relief, "is amazing! It looks exactly like Jehan. Your technique, it's like none I've ever seen! "  
R smiled, pleased that Enjolras liked his painting. He got to work, flouncing little fancy moves, which earned 'oohs' and 'aahs' from Enjolras.  
Joly and Marius, not interested in art, quickly left.  
But Enjolras stayed.  
R looked back at Enjolras every few minutes to see if this was real life, or if it was just a fantasy. Oh, it was more than real!  
"Do you wanna try?" R asked Enjolras.  
"Me?"  
"Well, I see no one else in the room."  
"Oh, I don't have an artistic bone on my body."  
"Well, I'll guide you!"  
Enjolras had his hesitations about taking R's hand. He stood up slowly.  
"You just, you have to let the brush control you."  
"Wait, I don't-"  
"Shhhh. Be quiet. Let the night consume you."  
Enjolras had no clue what R meant, but rolled with it anyways.  
The hour that they painted felt like mere minutes. Enjolras' emotions finally caught up to him, and he became very hot. "Um, I, uh, I think I'll just sit now."  
By that time it was late. Enjolras was becoming drowsy. His eyelids weighed a ton. 'Stay up, Enjolras, stay up!' he thought to himself.   
Enj tried to watch R's hands, the ones he had just held. It didn't work.  
The darkness pulled him under in a warm swoop.


	22. Chapter 22

A sweet scent hit Enjolras' nose. "Chocolate," he whispered.   
His eyes fluttered open. Panic was sent through his body. 'Where am I? Why am I here?' raced through his head. Then he heard a doorknob rattling.  
R walked into Enjolras' dorm room. "Mornin' blondie!"  
Everything came flooding back to Enjolras. The room, the paint, his hands. The only thing Enjolras didn't understand was how R got the key to his dorm room.  
R, as if reading E's mind, said, "I carried you up last night and JP gave me the key this morning. Hey, did you know that you cover your nose when you sleep? You're like a little cat! Meow!"  
Enjolras stared questioningly at R, as he was preparing something on his desk.  
"I actually caught some Z's next to you. Those couches are cozy"  
"Just like your dino slippers."  
"Just like my dino slippers."  
R had cuddled with Enjolras until 2:30. He woke up in time to beat the others back to the dorm. They had gone to another party.  
R had kissed Enjolras on the forehead when he set him in bed.   
"When did the guys get back? Or are they still out?"  
"They got back at about three am. The left at ten for pancakes."  
"Then what time is it now?"  
"Ten fifteen"  
"Oh, why didn't you go?"  
"Damn, blondie. You ask a lot of questions."  
"Well, I was just wondering!"  
R handed Enjolras a Starbucks cup and a glazed donut.   
"That's what I was preparing."  
"Is this coffee?"  
"No, it's hot cocoa. I hate coffee."  
"Me too," Enjolras said as he brought the cup to his lips. The sweetest, chocolatey liquid trickled down his throat. The name on his cup read Apollo. "Why does my cup say Apollo?"  
"Like I said, blondie, you ask too many questions."  
"Well, thank you for staying with me."  
"No prob, Apollo." R said with a wink.  
Enjolras, confused, started turning red. The curse of a blonde.   
R took an indulgent bite into his donut. "No donut can beat a glazed donut!"  
Enjolras shook his head in agreement.   
"Tell me about your life," Enjolras said. Before R could mock him for asking too many questions, Enjolras added, "That wasn't a question."  
"Shit, blondie. You're just gonna dive so deep. I don't want you to think it's a sob story," R said as he plopped down next to E. Enjolras scooted in, permitting R to begin. "Hope you're ready for a wild ride," R said, tears already burning in his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

"I was born out of wedlock. My mom hated my dad. She almost died giving birth to me. My dad didn't let my mom go to the hospital. I honestly think he wanted us both to die. I was really sick when I was born. My mom, she eventually defied him. She took me to the hospital in the dead of night when my dad was passed out drunk on the floor.  
"My mom filed for divorce shortly after, but not without getting abused by my dad. She actually had to get a restraining order from him.  
"That didn't stop much.  
"He'd come to our house in the middle of the night, and I'd hear my mom scream and cry. Her voice, it rang in my ears. It will haunt me until my dying day.  
"It got to be too much. I was six, and one night, when my dad was over, I called 911. I told them everything how he'd been coming for as long as I could remember.  
"That was when my dad cut my mom. He took his knife across her chest. The scream she emitted, it was the worst. It was so sad, I couldn't help but burst out crying."  
Enjolras had tears in his eyes. Giant, wet tears.  
"I saw so much blood as the paramedics carried her out of the house. My dad was put in jail. Drunk, handcuffed, and thrashing was the last sight I had of my dad.  
"As for my mom, she was okay. She wakes up screaming some nights, but other than that and a scar, shes fine. She found a great guy, Max. He's so kind and treats her so well. Got married when I was 10. He was actually one of the doctors that took care of her after my dad, well, ya know. Had a girl. My lil sis' name is Emilie. She's my best friend. I haven't come out to her, yet. She's too young to know. It kills me every day that she's growing up with a gay brother. What kind of a role model is that for a little girl, ya know?"  
'Did R just come out to me?' Enjolras thought.   
"Well, that's enough of my sob story," R said as E quickly pushed a tear off his face.   
R set his hand down on top of Enj's.   
Enjolras' first instinct was to pull away, but he grasped Rs hand to console him. R smirked under the over of his dark hair as a tear rolled down his face. 

Enjolras' face turned red and suddenly became hot. His stomach churned. He felt the strength in Rs fingers. In this moment, Enjolras felt so safe. The happy butterflies flitted around in his stomach.   
Then they died.   
They weighed down his stomach. 'I'm gay,' Enjolras thought. 'I'm gay!' He tried shaking these thoughts out of his mind, but the more he tried, the more they lingered.  
He had just come out to himself


	24. Chapter 24

Early. Monday. Too early.   
Enjolras was shaken awake.  
"Enj, Enj," R whispered. "Get up!"  
Enjolras moaned.   
"Sh. JP is still asleep. Get up!"  
Enjolras, stubborn as a mule, didn't.   
So, R just picked Enjolras out of bed, princess style.  
"Look, my Apollo, at the sunrise."  
Enjolras poked his head out of Rs warm chest. He saw the golden sunrise. The sky was painted in marvelous color. "Wow"  
"Told ya so."  
Jehan woke shortly after, and proceeded to wake the others.  
The six friends stood and watched the sunrise. Marius snapped a pic and sent it to Cosette. The text read, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You only know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away <3."  
The guys held each other close. Enjolras, still in R's arms, cuddled close to him. Courf put his arms around Jehan's neck. Marius and Joly, though no romantic connection between them, put their arms around each other.   
They remained that way until the sun had risen above the ground.   
"I gotta get ready, blondie. See ya in class,"R said as he set Enjolras gingerly on his bed.  
The others filed out behind. Jehan and Enjolras sat completely still, as though struck by lightning.   
They got to class a minute late, but Jean Valjean wasn't in class yet, so they got off easy.  
This time.

"Professor, I'm 100% sure the battle occurred in 1832."  
"No, Mr. Enjolras. It took place in 1835."  
"Sir, I am telling you. I am right!"  
Enjolras was arguing with Professor Fauchelevent, again, about another battle. Enjolras hadn't lost yet. The class was always silent during these fights, as they resulted in their professor getting beat. Even Cosette liked to see her father loose.   
R payed no attention to what Enjolras was saying, but studied the way he moved and exclaimed with passion. He saw that E's eyes would get tighter as he grew more frustrated. When he was really excited, a little vain would pop out of his neck. R named it Bernice. He didn't know why or how that name came to mind. It just kinda did.  
"Enjolras, I will look this up, but if you are wrong, I will fail you."  
"And if not, you will pass me. And my friends."  
The boys opened their eyes wide. Enjolras had only betted as much as a detention in the month and a half they had been in school. This was huge, especially with the end of trimester coming up in the next month.   
Jean Valjean's eyes eyes narrowed. "Deal."  
Enjolras, nervous that he may be wrong, grabbed the closest thing to him. That was Grantaire's hand. R squeezed his best friend's hand. They had become so close. They could talk to each other about anything and everything. R failed his history test? Enjolras would tutor him, and R would ace the extra credit project. Enjolras was, as he put it, "having a tad bit of difficulty with this art project"? Psh. Nothing R couldn't teach Enjolras.  
Professor Fauchelevent logged onto his laptop. Jehan and Courf looked at each other questioningly. Joly raised a brow at Marius, who, then, shrugged at Cosette, who turned to Èponine who was looking at Marius, who was now biting his fingernails and looking at Enjolras.  
"Okay class, here it is! And, as I said, the battle took place in-" He went silent. Their attention turned to Jean. He cleared his throat. "Mr. Enjolras, it seems that you have stumped me. You and your little posse are out of finals."  
"But I have another friend!" Enjolras exclaimed.  
"By God, who is it?"  
Everyone looked quizzically at Enjolras. "Cosette."  
Valjean narrowed his eyes. "Well, we made a deal. Now, off to French. All of you!"  
The friends rushed out of the room with hidden chuckles.   
"Well, young men," the old Lamarque started, "why are you in such ecstasy?"  
"Enjolras just got us out of our history final!" Jehan sang.  
"Oh, my flower, how excited you are! Ah, Enjolras! Quite the gentleman of the hour!"  
Enjolras' chest was puffed out in joy and pride. R was standing next to him whispering praise into his ear.   
Lamarque was an old man of 93. He had a young soul with wisdom sprinkled in. He was a humble man, a war hero. Lamarque was a man to look up at and adore. He took the boys in as his own. Each and every friday, they'd go to Lamarque's condo and make and eat French food. The recipes were from a giant, ancient book of recipes that were close to Lamarque's heart.  
"Okay boy, settle down! Settle down! We need to start our lesson!"


	25. Chapter 25

'Chetta dialed Joly's phone number.  
"Hello?" Joly answered  
"Joly! This is super important! Come over NOW!"  
"Ok where-"  
"Jane Eyre, room 307."  
"On my way!"  
"What was that about?" Marius asked, working on his French.  
"Musichetta needs to show me something."  
Marius raised his eyebrows.  
"No, Marius!"  
"Well, did she tell you what she needed you to see?"  
"No but-"  
"Hey i don't care. Just don't have too much fu-un!"  
Joly rolled his eyes and trotted down to the Jane Eyre building. He ran up the steps with lightning speed. He hardly knocked on the door when 'chetta opened it.   
The room was dark, candles were lit, and Joly knew Marius was right. "Chetta, I-"  
"Come here!" she pointed to her microscope. Joly breathed a sigh of relief. "Can you see it?"  
Joly focused the lens and saw the most magnificent specimen.  
"Is that a-"  
"A Billowing Westley plant? Yes, yes it is." she squealed.  
"No way. How-"  
"My parents help get medicine from the rain forests and they send me objects to observe."  
"I can't believe this!"  
"Neither can I! Do you, uh, do you wanna touch it?"  
"Oh, 'Chetta, this-" he saw a whole tupperware container full of the plant. "Ya, sure."  
She handed him a new, thin leaf very carefully.  
"Magic," he whispered.  
"Isn't it? I knew no one else-" she sighed.   
"They just don't understand!" they said, practically yelling, in unison.  
'Chetta blushed and giggled, and Joly put the leaf back into the container.  
"Answer me this one question," Joly said.  
"Anything."  
"Why on earth are candles lighting your room?"  
"Ah, the power went off. I'd have to darken the room anyways, to see the Westley. I have an emergency battery, but this is so much more important than anything and it just came today and I was just so excited to open it!"  
Joly smiled at her. A year younger than he, yet so smart was she. And talkative. "Have you got anything else?"  
"Ya, but it all needs to be unpacked."  
Joly looked deep into her eyes. It had been an month and a half, and he had yet to make his move. 'Chetta took a breath to start saying something else, when Joly put his lips to hers.  
They kissed in the microscope light. It was so romantic. She held his head, and Joly's hands found her waist. Since the invention of the kiss, there had only been five kisses so dorky and so pure. This one out-dorked them all.  
A stench made Joly start coughing.   
"The plant is burning!"  
They ran to try and save the singed plant on the slide  
"It's no use!" 'Chetta sighed. Joly grabbed her waist and kissed her head.


	26. Chapter 26

"Oh Èponine, don't you love it?" Cosette laughed in ecstasy at the gorgeous Pandora bracelet Marius got her.  
"Absolutely gorgeous," Èponine grumbled unenthusiastically.  
"Oh, and the charms he got me are so perfect!"  
"Mhm." Secretly, Èponine wished the bracelet was on her own wrist. She was convinced that Marius liked her and always looked at her. But he was always looking at Cosette. She was just close enough to The Lark at all times to mistake the glance. "Don't we have homework to do?"  
"Since when did you care about homework? Besides, Enjolras passed me in history, which was the only class we had homework in tonight."  
"Oh, that's right. The blonde beauty."  
"Èponine, what's gotten into you?"  
"I don't know, Cosy. What the hell has gotten into you?" Èponine got up and started walking out of the room.  
"Èponine, Èponine stop! Please!"  
Just as she opened the door to leave the building, it started pouring. Èponine started crying. She loved Marius. She knew it. There she was, sobbing in the rain over the man she would never get to love.  
Èponine broke down completely. She couldn't stand the fact that Cosette was so much prettier than she. Cosette only got Marius because she's pretty! Èponine thought. He would be in love with me if he based it off of personality. An awful thought toward her best friend.  
Marius left her mind. She imagined her wedding. She never wanted a big wedding. Just a tiny little wedding at a tiny little church with her tiny bridal party of her sisters and Cosette. She'd be in an all white lace dress with a bouquet of red flowers. Her husband would be on the verge of tears.  
"But it's all lies!" Èponine smacked the puddle in front of her. She sat and cried to the rain.

"Marius, pick up! Èponine stormed out crying. MARIUS, PICK UP!" she cried out. She sat on her bed sobbing. What had she done? She didn't think she did anything wrong.

"Oh Joly, that's wonderful!" Marius cried.  
Joly sat, soaked, on his bed, with a dorky smile on his bed and a small container of Billowing Westley in his hands.  
"We need to call an emergency meeting, now!" Marius said, thinking happily to himself.  
Joly, top happy to speak or think, just followed along.

"Oh, Grantaire. Oh Grantaire! Oh, Grantaire, mmm!" Enjolras moaned.  
"Doesn't it feel good? I've wanted to do this forever, but no one else has let me!"  
Grantaire massaged Enjolras' shoulders. E had been under some stress with finals arriving.  
"R, this is amazing!"  
"Well, I've had training."  
"By whom?"  
R kept quiet. He'd learn soon enough.  
"Did you-" E started, but was cut off by the knocking on the door.  
"Emergency meeting! C'mon guys!"  
R quickly pulled on his slippers as Enj pulled on his hoodie.  
"No one can call meetings but me. Emergency meeting!" Enjolras called, walking out of Rs room.  
"Damn," R said. "What a man."

"So what's the meeting about?" Enjolras asked, storming into the Notre Dame room.  
"Joly kissed Musichetta. He's in loooooove!" Marius said.  
Joly's smile was wiped off his face, replaced by that of shock. "What?"  
"You're in love, don't deny it!"  
"I won't say anything! I'm not in love!"  
"Dude, you try to keep it hidden, but Joly we can see right through it-"  
"Oh no!"  
"Courf, I think he's in love," Jehan whispered to his boyfriend. They hadn't told anyone yet, but it was so blatantly obvious, they didn't need to tell anyone for everyone to know. They didn't know that though. Courf grabbed Jehan's hand and kissed it.  
"I'm no love expert," Enjolras whispered to R, "but he's totally in love."  
R nodded and nudged E's shoulder, and Enj nudged right back.  
"Come on, Joly! You are 100% in love! You can't deny it any longer! You-"  
"I'm in love! I've always been afraid, especially with a girl like Musichetta! I've been afraid that I wasn't ggod enough. It's just too hard to deny! Just, just don't tell 'Chetta, k?"  
All of the boys looked at each other.  
"It's too cliché," Joly said as he walked out of the common room.  
All heads turned to Enjolras.  
"Um, good meeting everyone.... Weekly meeting is Wednsday, don't forget. Uh, disnmissed!"


	27. Chapter 27

Enjolras woke to the sound of his phone buzzing next to him. "What do you want?"  
"Look out your window!"  
Enjolras turned to look at the clock. "It's 1:30!"  
"Exactly! the night is young! C'mon!"  
"Goodnight."  
"Ok, you asked for it!"  
E rolled his eyes at his phone. Just as he shut his eyes again, a rock tapped his window.  
And another.  
And another.  
Enjolras got up and looked out the window to see a shirtless R. "Get your swimsuit on!"

Enjolras, minutes later, had his trunks on and was running to R's car.  
"Glad you could make it, Blondie!" R stepped on the gas.   
"R where are we going?"  
"Just fence hopping some country club."  
"Which one?"  
"The Grand Levi."  
"That's the nicest country club around for miles!"  
"I've fence hopped it before! We won't get caught."  
Enjolras looked out the window, then down at the seat. "R, if your mom dropped you off, how do you have your car here?"  
"Well, um, that's something we've gotta talk about, see- OH! Look! The Grand Levi!"  
Enj's mouth dropped to the floor. "It's gorgeous," he whispered.  
"Ya, it is."  
R parked his car by the curb, and they hopped the fence.  
They landed on the pool deck. R had no hesitations, and hopped into the pool.  
R surfaced and said, "Yo, Blondie! Come in! The water is fine!"  
Enjolras felt himself smile. He hoped it was dark was black enough to conceal it.  
"Ah, Enj, I see you smiling! C'mon, you know you want to!"  
Enjolras looked left and right. The coast was clear, after all, so our little rebel hopped right into the pool.  
Enjolras lingered underwater. He surfaced and ran his hands through his now-knotty hair. "It's so warm!" Enj said. He looked around for R, but he was no where to be seen. "R? R?" Enjolras felt a pair of hands grasp his waist and lift him out of the water.  
"It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Apollo!"  
Enjolras at first fought it, but gave up and let R fly him around the pool. They hadn't yet ventured to the shallow end, but when Enjolras got to heavy, he was dropped there.   
Lights turned on.   
R and Enjolras looked at each other. Enjolras had a terrified look in his eye.   
"Oh no," R said when he heard a pair of heals clicking on the pavement. "Oh no, oh no!"  
"Excuse me," the lady said.  
"Shit," R whispered.


End file.
